


But I need to tell you something

by Marishna



Series: Tell You Something 'verse [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Deputy Derek Hale, First Kiss, M/M, Matchmaker Sheriff Stilinski, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 19:52:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3500786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Whoa, where do you think you're going?"</p><p>Stiles looked up, surprised.  A deputy was looking at him, half confused and half concerned.  His name tag read "Parrish".  He was about Stiles' height, light brown hair and piercing blue eyes.  Clean cut and cute as hell.</p><p>"Uh?" Stiles managed to get out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But I need to tell you something

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Thirst" at fullmoon_ficlet on LJ. It didn't come out exactly as I thought it would but there was also more to it than I expected.

Stiles strolled through the front door of the Sheriff's station like he always did, hands in his pockets and grinning at the front desk person. Cindy was on and she just shook her head with a fond smile as Stiles walked past her desk with a jaunty salute.

He walked down the hallway to the area where all the deputy desks were and, beyond those, his dad's office. He hadn't been back in three months, not since Spring break, but nothing had changed.

Hell, nothing had changed since Stiles was seven and first cruised these halls on rollerblades, learning how to stop by slamming into walls and admin staff legs.

He got to the desk area and made to open the door like always but a hand stopped him before he could twist the knob.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?"

Stiles looked up, surprised. A deputy was looking at him, half confused and half concerned. His name tag read "Parrish". He was about Stiles' height, light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Clean cut and cute as hell.

"Uh?" Stiles managed to get out.

"Sheriff's waiting for you," a voice said from behind them and Stiles and Parrish both looked up. Stiles couldn't help but let a wide grin cross his face when he saw who approached and stepped between them to open the door, ushering Stiles inside first.

"Well, as I live and breathe. How's it going, Derek?" Stiles asked then, at Derek's expression which was clearly gearing up to give him a lecture on the importance of addressing him properly, added, "Sorry. _Deputy Hale_."

"Things are fine, Stiles. How are you?"

"Feelin' fine," Stiles crooned and grinned again to which Derek rolled his eyes.

Parrish stood and stared.

"Been keeping him on the straight and narrow?" Stiles asked, jerking his thumb toward the back office.

"I don't police the police, Stiles," Derek replied, sitting down at his desk and shuffling some papers. He looked up to catch Stiles' disappointed look. "But if he mentions anything about not being able to get to the donuts in the break room in time before they're all gone I had _nothing_ to do with it."

Stiles punched Derek lightly on the shoulder. "Knew I could trust you, bro. Catch you later, yeah?"

And like that Stiles was gone, disappeared into the back office with the door closed. Parrish came up to stand beside Derek's desk.

"Who was that?" he asked, sounding a little breathless to Derek, who looked up at him with an odd look.

"Stilinski's kid. Don't you recognize him from the pictures in his office?" Derek said like it was obvious.

"That," Parrish said with a nod. "Is not a kid."

"You're right," Derek replied drily. "He's 21 and home for the summer before his last year of college. He's also _the sheriff's son_."

Parrish seemed to deflate a little. "Right."

***

"So, uh, who's that?" Stiles asked his dad casually once he was seated across the desk from him.

John looked up through the window into the officers' area and caught sight of Parrish. Parrish was staring straight at the back of Stiles' head and turned red when he noticed the sheriff watching him. He ducked back down in front of his computer.

"You mean Parrish?" John asked, amused.

Stiles shrugged. "Just never seen him before is all."

John refrained from rolling his eyes. "He started a couple months back. Good guy, out of the army. Hale's been training him up well." John paused for a second and then added, "He's been asking about you."

"Parrish?" Stiles asked, excited, then confused. "No, I just met him. What? Who?"

John shook his head. "Never mind. You ready to go get some supper?"

Stiles smiled and hopped up. "Let's go, daddio!"

And when they walked back through the squad room Stiles might've winked at Parrish as they passed by his desk. Might've noticed the way Parrish flushed in response.

Didn't, however, notice that Derek's hand involuntarily clenched around a report he was filling out.

***

"What do you know about Stiles?" Parrish asked, out of the blue over lunch the next day with Derek.

Derek shoved a couple fries in his mouth and chewed slowly and carefully before answering. "What do you mean?"

"You're from here and you've worked with the Sheriff longer than I have. You know Stiles, right?"

Derek shrugged, discomfort causing him to hunch over his meal. "I guess."

  
 "So what's he like? What's he into? Do you know what he's studying in school?"

"Uh, he's pretty sure he's going to go into teaching. He wants to focus on elementary ages, probably grades 2 through 4. But he likes the research side of his studies and is trying for a double major in history and computer science. He hasn't decided if he's going to do the extra year of education just yet but he's a shoo-in from what the Sheriff says," Derek told him, with his eyes on his hands in front of him.

"Wow, you obviously pay attention in class," Parrish joked. "No wonder you're the Sheriff's favourite, you suck up! What else?"

Derek held back a grimace and thought to Stiles' Facebook that he'd begrudgingly accepted Stiles' friend request for a couple years back. Thought about how through it he learned all about the guy who'd started out an annoyance in his life, then a friend of sorts, and now a full-fledged crush.

He considered what interests and the groups Stiles was in, the albums of pictures of him at various college parties. He also thought about Stiles' blog that he didn't even remember how he managed to track down but did and has never told anyone and wasn't about to start now.

He sometimes wondered what Stiles thought about his own pitiful internet presence. He commented on almost every Facebook post Derek made, even though they were usually months apart. He'd post a picture of Cora or Laura, his sisters, maybe a view of the preserve, or of a new piece of furniture like a bookshelf or rocking chair he made in his spare time in his parents' garage. Stiles' comments were always so enthusiastic it made Derek want to try to strike up a better conversation with him, maybe ask for his cell number to text him, but then he always overthought the situation and waited too long and then dropped it with a reply back of, "thanks" two weeks too late.

Derek shrugged when he realized he'd frozen a bit. "Uh, he likes video games, I guess. He's kind of a walking wikipedia, too." At Parrish's confused look he added, "He knows a lot of random stuff."

"Okay, cool," Parrish said with a nod.

"You gonna go for it?" Derek asked lightly, keeping his eyes on his food.

"I think so. Gonna try, anyway. Any advice?"

Derek froze and had no idea what to say but luckily the scanner went off and alerted to a possible shoplifter at the mall. Derek shoved the rest of his fries in his mouth, grabbed his trash and threw it out while gesturing.

"Gta gaw," he mumbled around his mouthful and waved Parrish while he high tailed it out of the station.

On the way out to his car he noticed Stiles jumping out of his Jeep and he chewed furiously, considered spitting into the bushes, and then gulped it all down hard once Stiles saw him.

Stiles waved and grinned widely at him as he walked up the sidewalk.

Derek's stomach absolutely did _not_ flip. And if it did it was indigestion.

"Where you off to?" Stiles asked, smile open and genuine.

Derek slipped and grinned back for a second before he realized he actually was on his way to a crime. "Possible shoplifter."

Stiles shook his head, mock-serious. "Damn that Beacon Hills criminal element. Always keeping you hopping, right?"

Derek nodded back, feeing dumb because he couldn't think up something to say.

Stiles shifted and shoved his hands in his pockets, almost nervously. "Hey, uh."

Derek waited.

"Um."

Derek cocked his head and nodded slowly, encouragingly.

"Sorry, it's stupid."   "What is?" Derek asked, intrigued.

  "What is?" Derek asked, intrigued.

Stiles bounced one foot on the toes of his shoe and looked around. "A few of us are getting together Thursday, kind of a first week back thing and I thought that maybe, if you aren't working or busy doing something else or—"

"Derek, you need me to go to that call?" Parrish called from the door of the station. Derek swore in his head, a constant chant of _fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckfuckfuckfuck_ until he turned around and waved to Parrish.

"Just on my way now," he replied. Parrish nodded and closed the door but waited there, watching he and Stiles.

Derek turned back to Stiles, apologies ready on his tongue but Stiles cut him off.

"Right, the criminal element," Stiles said with a short laugh. "Catch you later?"

Stiles walked off to the station front door where Parrish was waiting, shoulders slumped and Derek wished … well, he didn't really want to know what he wished for but he knew it wasn't to have to go to this damn call.

***

"What are you doing back so soon?" Parrish asked when Stiles passed through the door. "Come to confess a crime?"

Stiles grinned. "Hey Deputy Parrish. Nah, I'm taking them all to my grave with me."

"I bet you've got all kinds of secrets," Parrish replied and his tone made Stiles' eyes widen and his cheeks redden. "And you can call me Jordan, you know."

Stiles laughed off his awkwardness and nodded, then started walking to his dad's office, Parrish trailing along after him.

"Just here to see dad for a second. Busy day?" Stiles asked.

"Not too bad. Paperwork mostly. Not much excitement," Parrish replied.

"Watch what you say. Wish for excitement and the next thing you know you're in a firefight with the hidden cult of old timers trying to keep the old ways at the cost of any progress," Stiles rambled as they reached the Sheriff's office.

Parrish's eyes lit up. "You like _Hot Fuzz_?"

"Totally the best out of the trilogy!" Stiles exclaimed. "I love zombies and aliens as much as the next guy but —"   "Stiles?" John stuck his head out of his office and interrupted the conversation.

"Stiles?" John stuck his head out of his office and interrupted the conversation.

"Right. Hey dad!" Stiles nodded between Parrish and his dad for a second then shifted his focus back to Parrish quickly. "Hey Par—Jordan, if you're not doing anything Thursday some friends and I are going to Jungle to meet up. You're welcome to come, if you're free."

Parrish grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you there."

Stiles stepped into John's office and found his dad staring at him. "What?"

"You just asked one of my deputies out on a date."

"Date? No. No date," Stiles said shaking his head and waving his hands a little. "Just a friendly evening out."

"You sure?" John asked skeptically.

"Why? Have you heard something? Know something? Your Spidey senses tingling?" Stiles asked eagerly.

"No, Stiles. But what about…" John trailed off.

"What?"

"Derek."

Stiles blinked. "What _about_ Derek?"

"Thought you were still mooning over him a little," John replied with a shrug, trying to make it as innocuous as possible.

Stiles shook his head. "Yeah, right. I mooned in high school. I crushed the summer before college. I dreamed when we became friends. And then I realized he's never going to see me as anything more than that so…" 

  
"Why are you here, Stiles," John asked.

Stiles fish-mouthed for a second. "I came to see what time you'd be home for dinner so I could have it ready for you."

"So that you could have called and asked instead of coming by the exact time when Derek would normally have been on his lunch or otherwise here at the station had nothing to do with that?" Stiles opened his mouth to rebut and— "Yeah, my Spidey senses are tingling."

"I plead the fifth," Stiles declared.

"I also have eyes," the sheriff kept going, almost in a sing-song tone while Stiles glared at him and made a quick escape out the door. John watched as he waved a quick goodbye to Parrish and all but fled the station.

John picked up his phone and dialed a number.

 _"Yes?"_ Stiles picked up, warily.

"My shift is done at 6pm, by the way."

The sheriff laughed as he heard Stiles swear and hang up on him.

*** 

  
"Hale, can I see you in here?" John called into the squad room from his office. Derek closed the door at the Sheriff's nod and took a seat across the desk from him.

"How's it going, son?" John asked.

Derek frowned. "Sir?"

"Simple question, deputy."

"I'm fine?"

"Answering a question with a question?"

Derek's frown deepened. "Sheriff, is there something going on?"

John sighed. "No, I'm honestly just asking how you're doing. How things are outside of this place."

Derek sat back in his chair and blinked.

"Derek, I'm asking simple questions, here."

"Yes sir," Derek replied. He shifted in his seat. "I guess things are going well."

"You guess?"

"Sheriff, what is this about?" Derek asked, frustrated.

"Stiles and his friends are going out to Jungle on Thursday," John replied.

Derek frowned. "Okay."

"You should stop by. You know everyone that's going."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "Did Stiles put you up to this?" he asked slowly.

"No. And, in fact, if he knew I was saying any of this I'd probably be banished to eating plain brown rice and tofu for the summer while he's home.

"Look, Derek. You're a good deputy, one of the best we have on the force, okay? But you could stand to loosen up a little. If there's someone I know who could make that happen, it's Stiles. Don't tell him I told you but just stop by, have a beer, okay? You're not working Friday anyway so it's not like you've got anything to lose."

Derek listened to the Sheriff's words, growing more confused by the second but nodded in the end. "Okay."

"Okay," John repeated. He nodded for Derek to leave and he did, barely registering the walk back to his desk.

***

Derek wasn't any less confused by the time Thursday night rolled around but there he was, standing outside Jungle. He took a deep breath and made it through the line to get in quickly. Once he was inside he did a quick sweep around the dance floor until he found Stiles' booth. He approached them slowly, feeling like every step was taking him closer to his doom.

Stiles was sitting almost in the middle of the booth, with his best friend Scott on one side with his girlfriend Allison and Parrish on the other side. Beside Parrish was a kid he knew as Isaac from the pictures Stiles was tagged in by Scott and other people. He figured Erica and Boyd, a couple other friends couldn't be far either.

He thought about turning back but as soon as the idea flitted through his head Stiles saw him and stood up on the booth seat.

"Derek!" he yelled, waving madly. "You came! It's Thirsty Thursday!"

Everyone made room for him to slide into the booth and they greeted him as well as he pushed his leather jacket off leaving him in a black v-neck t-shirt. Parrish was staring at him like he was confused why he was there.

"What's Thirsty Thursday?" Derek asked.

"Basically just cheap drinks, as you can see," Allison replied, gesturing to the table where there were an assortment of bottles and glasses.

"The alliterative turn of phrase makes it easy to remember and therefore offers an edge on the competition who don't have such a catchy theme night," Stiles spoke up, seemingly to no one but when Derek looked up Stiles was staring directly at him. Stiles wasn't drunk but seemed happily buzzed and relaxed.

"What brings you here, Hale?" Parrish spoke up before Derek could reply. Derek was going to say he was stopping by anyway this evening but instead—

"I invited him," Stiles said.

"You invited everyone, it seems," Parrish replied with a short laugh but Derek could tell he was put out.

"He kind of did," Scott laughed. "I think he Facebook invited half our grad class."

"Nah, only the ones who matter," Stiles said and once again stared right at Derek who knew Stiles knew he _hadn't_ officially invited him but it seems he didn't care.

Erica and Boyd returned to the table from dancing and everyone squeezed in on Scott and Allison's side so their booth was packed. Isaac was pressed up against Derek's side but he seemed to be a good guy and plus he was in a great position to speak easily to Stiles who seemed to address him most of all in the ensuing conversations. Derek caught Isaac flashing knowing grins at him and Derek elbowed him in the ribs a little.

Just a little.

But the shit didn't stop grinning.

After about an hour Derek wanted a drink so he asked if anyone else wanted anything. As soon as people started telling him their orders he knew he was going to get them wrong. Stiles held up a hand.

"I'll come help," he offered and started to slouch down in the booth.

"Want us to move?" Parrish asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

"Nah, I'm used to this," Stiles said and slithered under the table. Derek felt a hand on his leg, hot palm over his knee, as Stiles crawled under the table and emerged to stand beside him. Derek slid out of the booth and followed Stiles to the far side of the bar, out of view of the table where there were fewer people and the music wasn't quite as loud.

"You came," Stiles said when they reached the bar to wait for the bartender. He was smiling up at Derek softly, eyes bright.

"I did."

"I'm glad," Stiles said quieter so that Derek had to lean in to hear him.

Derek turned his face so he could speak into Stiles' ear. "Me too."

"So _why_ did you come?" Stiles asked, staring into Derek's eyes. Derek's breath hitched.

"Because you… invited me?" he said, even though they both knew it was a lie.

Stiles narrowed his eyes and grabbed Derek by the arm and pulled him until they were outside. Stiles led them down the street a little, away from the door and the small crowd of people there.

"Seriously, why are you here, Derek?" Stiles asked, biting his lip. Derek wanted to cover his lips with his fingers to make him stop and then with his mouth.

"I heard you guys would be here and wanted to stop by, check things out," Derek said using a tone he sometimes did in interrogations when he played "good cop".

"Really?" Stiles asked skeptically. "'Cause for a police officer you kind of suck at this covert opp thing."

Derek blew out a breath and let his head drop. "I came to see you. I shouldn't have, though, because you're here with Parrish and I'm sorry."

"I'm not here with Jordan," Stiles said quickly.

"How did he get invited?"

"Well," Stiles said, looking chagrined. "I did, but as a friend! We're just friends."

Derek nodded and there was a weird silence until Stiles asked curiously, "Why would it matter to you if we're friends or not, anyway?"

Derek froze. "Uh…"

"Deputy Hale," Stiles teased. "Do you have a crush on me?" Stiles said the words like he didn't actually _believe_ them. That would be absurd, right?

Derek was blushing.

"Holy shit, Derek. Do you like me?"

Derek grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a "yes".

"But you've been flirting with Parrish," Derek said quickly.

Stiles rolled his eyes but the smile on his lips was fond. "I flirt with _everybody_. Just less with you." 

  
Derek wasn't sure if he should feel slighted or not by that. "Why?"

"Because you're more than a cheesy one liner. And you'd never fall for them anyway." 

  
"How do you know?"

"I tried. More than once," Stiles replied wryly. "I figured that you didn't like me that way or maybe you wanted a more sophisticated approach. Or just a less "me" approach. I never considered that you were just obtuse."

Derek raised his eyebrow. "I hope that's not a term of endearment you have for me."

"Are you into those?" Stiles asked, laughing. "Because I could come up with some bad _ass_ ones! Like ‘sweetbrows' or ‘leather love', although that one's a little S &M, or ‘Der-bear' or —"

Derek quickly leaned in and covered Stiles' mouth with his own, silencing him with his lips. Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek's neck and held on, allowing himself to be pressed against the brick wall behind him while Derek tried to learn every detail of Stiles' mouth with licks and sucks.

When they finally pulled apart Stiles leaned his forehead against Derek's. "So you're saying you like me?"

Derek laughed and pressed a kiss to Stiles' cheek. "I like you. Have for a while but I had _no idea_ how to tell you."   
"Me neither," Stiles admitted. "I thought you were annoyed with me most of the time."

"I was," Derek replied and grinned at the squawk Stiles let out. "And then you grew up and went off to college and turned into a really cool person who, to be honest, intimidated me."

" _I_ intimidated _you_?" Stiles asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. You're outgoing and smart and fearless," Derek said, scowling like it pained him to get the words out. "You got so under my skin that I couldn't even leave a stupid comment on your Facebook posts, for fuck's sake."

Stiles laughed, clearly delighted, and ran a thumb over Derek's brows to try to relax them. "If it makes you feel any better it always took me at least ten minutes of rehearsing what comment I was going to leave on _your_ posts."

"Bullshit," Derek replied. "You always know what to say."

Stiles shook his head. "No, I just always say _something_ which usually gets me in trouble. I'd try to make up for it by coming off like an over-excited idiot."

"Idiot? No. Eager puppy… maybe," Derek said and Stiles flushed but kept looking up at him.

"So… do you wanna go back to my place and make out until my dad gets off shift?" Stiles asked, waggling his eyebrows in a way that Derek couldn't help but burst out laughing over.

Derek pretended to ponder the offer. "Hmm, make out with you in the house where my _boss_ lives. But make out with _you_ where my boss lives."

"I can make it sound way dirtier than that, if it helps," Stiles says in Derek's ear, then snaps at his earlobe lightly with his teeth.

Derek makes a sound that causes Stiles' mouth to go dry and his head cloud up so instead of waiting for an answer he grabs Derek's arm and starts pulling him away from the club. "C'mon, where's your car?"

"What about your friends? And their drinks? Parrish?" Derek asked.

"Screw ‘em. But not literally, cause that's what I want to do with you. Plus, I'm pretty sure most of them are probably putting the pieces together by now."

Derek laughed the whole way to his Toyota, letting Stiles ramble while dropping innuendos the whole time.

***

Down the block from Jungle the Sheriff sat in his cruiser, doing the normal nightly sweep of the clubs and high traffic areas for anything that might spell trouble.

He watched a couple from his vantage point, as they talked, then kissed, then snuck off into the night.

The Sheriff started his car with a smile and radioed back to the station, "All clear here."


End file.
